MICHAEL FLEMING wrote:HBO launched comic Sam Kinison's star, and now the pay web will memorialize his life and death with "Brother Sam," a film Tom Shadyac will direct.

Dan Fogler will play the manic comic.

Basis for the telepic is "Brother Sam: The Short, Spectacular Life of Sam Kinison," a memoir written by his brother and manager, Bill Kinison, and Steve Delsohn. A new script has been written by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, the writer-directors of "American Splendor."

David Permut is producing in a co-production of Permut Presentations and Shadyac's Shady Acres. Steve Longi is co-producer and Bill Kinison is exec producer.

Shadyac and Permut spent eight years trying to get the project made as a feature at Universal Pictures, but the project stalled and seems a better fit at HBO, which just set up a biopic of Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham for Laura Linney to star in and Robert Benton to direct, based on a Joan Didion script.

Kinison's star was launched by an appearance on HBO's Rodney Dangerfield-hosted "Young Comedians" special in 1984. Fogler is the Tony-winning star of "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee," who transitioned to features with "Balls of Fury."

Ha, I literally was just joking with my brother on the phone about Sam Kinison. I was basically comparing what the US gov't is doing about the economy to Sam's necrophelia joke ("You mean they can f!@# you in the a$$ even after your dead? It never ends, IT NEVER ENDS!"). What a pleasant coincedence!

Vegeta wrote:Ha, I literally was just joking with my brother on the phone about Sam Kinison. I was basically comparing what the US gov't is doing about the economy to Sam's necrophelia joke ("You mean they can f!@# you in the a$$ even after your dead? It never ends, IT NEVER ENDS!"). What a pleasant coincedence!

That bit is hi-larious. I've got the ( rare) VHS of that performance - before the over indulgence and abuse had taken root.Having his mom and Hugh Hefner in the same audience had to be a least a little trippy, nu?

Dave McNary wrote:HBO Films has decided to give the bigscreen treatment to the late Sam Kinison.

The company's developing a biopic of the outrageous comic with Tom Shadyac attached to direct and Rich Wilkes writing. Story is based on the memoir "Brother Sam: The Short, Spectacular Life of Sam Kinison" by Bill Kinison and Steve Delson.

Shadyac and David Permut -- who have been attempting for a decade to get the Kinison project going -- are exec producing. Permut Presentations exec Steve Longi is co-exec producer.

Story will trace Kinison's rise as the son of a preacher to be one of the most cutting-edge and significant comedians of his era. Kinison first came into the public eye with an appearance on HBO's Rodney Dangerfield-hosted "Young Comedians" special in 1984. His comedy often pivoted on his former role as an evangelist, with his first album titled "Louder Than Hell."

Kinison made his film debut in 1986 in Dangerfield's "Back to School," playing an angry professor. He died in a traffic accident in 1992.

Shadyac and Permut had "Brother Sam" set up at Universal for many years before taking the project to HBO, where it was first developed as a TV movie with Dan Fogler starring (Daily Variety, Nov. 18, 2008).

Permut's credits include "Face/Off," "Youth in Revolt" and "Charlie Bartlett." Wilkes' scripting credits include the upcoming "Iron Fist" and "The Wheelman."

Shadyac's documentary "I Am" -- which details his recovery from a cycling accident -- has been picked up by Paladin for a February theatrical release. Bigscreen comedy credits include "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" and "Bruce Almighty."